Your visual brand is what most people think of when they hear the word “brand.” It's what they see when they visit your website, check out your logo, or follow you on social media. It’s the colors, fonts, and images that tell your audience who you are and what to expect from your work.
But your visual brand is only a small part of the puzzle. Your aesthetics aren’t your brand any more than your clothes are the real YOU.
Visual branding is just the outward style that represents your inner story. That's why it's so important to create a visual brand that feels authentic to you and your story.
So, what story do you want to tell?
Think about your stories and characters. What colors or imagery come to mind? Do you write fun, whimsical fairy tale retellings for a YA audience? Maybe you can represent that whimsical feel with pastel colors and scripted fonts for an old-fashioned feel.
Do you write fast-paced action thrillers or psychological mysteries? Perhaps the imagery you use to represent your personality and your stories should use darker, bold colors and fonts. Make it edgy and a show the tension.
Think about how you want your reader to feel when they see your visual aesthetic. Try to represent the feelings you evoke in your writing with your graphics, photography style, and color scheme.
Just like fashion stylists use color, shape, and texture to create a visual aesthetic that promotes a certain feeling or idea, you can use them to create a visual brand that authentically attracts your ideal readers.
Action Step: Create a Pinterest board of images that you like and seem to fit your personality and the tone or imagery in your stories.
Note what colors and ideas tend to be common. Choose three fonts (a fun font for your primary header, a basic font for your sub-headings, and a simple body copy font) and three colors (two neutrals and a “pop” color) for your visual brand. Create a photo collage to represent your brand and refer back to it often.
Want to learn more about creating a stand-out author brand that converts potential readers into life-long fans? Get access to my FREE workbook, “5 Steps to a Tribe-Building Author Brand.”